The Oathbreakers
by Khellendrosiic
Summary: The continuing chronicles of an Elite that survived Halo. He has allied with the Humans and let all Covenant tremble who stand in his way.
1. The Beginning of the Second

The Oathbreakers

By Khellendros

Disclaimer: I own nothing Halo related, except for my characters.

Note: I have decided to change around the end of I Am The Last a little bit. Instead of things starting off right away with Regret's invasion I'm going to do a bit of interaction between 'Zakamee's Covenant and the Humans on board Cairo station. I'm sorry to all you people out there that wanted more action. Also, I'm going to have to tell you when the scene shifts and whatnot because Fanfiction's auto-correct is an ass.

(begin story)

"So what you are saying," said 'Zakamee, "Is that the sacred rings are not devices that will culminate in the Great Journey but are instead weapons of last resort used by the Forerunners, the very beings my people hold sacred?"

"Yes." said the Human intelligence officer, Captain Robert Iverson.

'Zakamee shook his head slowly. "This knowledge goes against all I have ever known and been taught. You do understand that I cannot believe such outrageous claims without real evidence. This all goes against the very fabric of my being, the very reason that the Covenant was formed."

'Zakamee's voice had grown heated by the end of that statement but he decided to hold the rest of his anger in. Enraging his Human hosts would not be wise in light of his continued survival.

"I know that this is hard for you to believe. Your men had similar reactions, although the Grunts were less emotional," replied Captain Iverson.

'Zakamee's brow furrowed, "What do you mean, 'less emotional'?"

Captain Iverson leaned back in his chair, secure in the knowledge that he had scored a point off the Elite. "What I mean is that the Grunts were a lot more pragmatic and less zealous then you and the other Elites I talked too. Especially the ones named Grgra and Cacar. Their place in the Covenant was low enough to have escaped most of the religious dogma and propaganda that the Prophet's used to such effect against your kind. In fact, some tentative questioning revealed a deep contempt for your people and the Prophets from most of the Grunts."

'Zakamee was stunned, his mandibles working noiselessly. He had never known that the Grunts had hated the Covenant so. Of course, now that 'Zakamee thought about it, he remembered numerous occasions during which Grunts were treated little better than dogs. The most vibrant memory in his mind was his final test at his academy. He and his class of nine other Elites were given the task of acquiring a flag guarded by a large number of Grunts. The cadets were issued live plasma weapons for the test, an event that 'Zakamee questioned. 'Zakamee had been told that the Grunts were heretics and so were slated for death anyway, whether it came from the executioner's plasma spikes or the cadets' rifles did not matter. So when the time came, 'Zakamee killed them as mercilessly as he would any other enemy of the Covenant.

The thing that troubled him now was one event during that test. 'Zakamee had been rooting out the last of the Grunts in the upper level of the building that the flag was in. He and his classmates had decided amongst themselves to kill all of these heretical Grunts. During his search, 'Zakamee found a Grunt cowering in a corner. 'Zakamee had been about to strike the blasphemous heretic down when the Grunt cried out and pleaded for mercy. When 'Zakamee demanded to know why a condemned heretic like the Grunt should be spared the Grunt told him a disturbing tale. According to the Grunt, he and his comrades were just part of an infantry file that had been ordered to occupy this structure by order of their commander. He said they only fired upon the Elites because the Elites had struck first, killing some of their brood brothers.

'Zakamee had figured that the Grunts had reacted slowly because they were paralyzed by fear. After all, what mere Grunt would want to face the holy wrath of the Covenant's greatest warriors? 'Zakamee ended up killing the Grunt anyway, so as not to appear weak in front of his peers. In fact, he even told his classmates what the Grunt had said and they had all laughed at the lies of a doomed and desperate heretic. 'Zakamee had forgotten this incident until now and it took on a horrible new light. If the Prophets had lied so glibly about such a minor thing as that, what else could they have done? 'Zakamee's entire life as a warrior had been about blind obedience and religious fervor. Now that he was away from the Prophet's almost continuous sermons about the Great Journey and his fellow warriors and the need to prove himself the best by following every order and doing so to the best of his ability he seriously began to doubt his former convictions.

'Zakamee lowered his head to the dark wood table and lightly bashed it against the unyielding surface. He let out a low groan of anguish as he did this. It isn't everyday that doubt is cast upon your entire way of life and things you had taken for granted until now become exposed as the horrible lies that they are. Captain Iverson looked surprised by 'Zakamee's actions but quickly recovered. He hid a smirk behind an upraised hand and picked up the nearby phone. He dialed the number for his contact in ONI and waited impatiently for the few seconds it took to be picked up.

"What?" said the gravely voice on the other end.

"This is Artifice 1. I've been debriefing the leader of the Covenant defectors and have made some headway that I haven't in the others."

The voice on the other end perked up in interest, "How so?"

"I believe I have got him seriously doubting his Prophets."

"Good, good. Keep me updated as to your progress."

"Confirmed. Artifice 1, out."

Captain Iverson, or Artifice 1, hung up the phone and looked at the Elite sitting in front of him. The alien had slumped back in his chair and was staring at the wall with what appeared to be a blank look on his face. Iverson had to wave his hand in front of Balask 'Zakamee's face a couple of times before the Elite's head snapped up and focused on him once again.

"Anything else you would like to tell me?" said the alien, his voice full of bitterness.

"No, I think that will be all for today. I would like to continue our discussion of the merits of your vehicles versus the advantages of ours but that conversation should continue after Chief Tech Cargyle returns from planet side," answered Iverson.

'Zakamee sighed and stood up. "If that is all, then I shall take my leave. You have given me much to think about."

Iverson merely nodded as 'Zakamee pushed his chair in and left the office, followed by his ever present Marine guards. Iverson waited until the door closed and then reached into a drawer for the Elite's files. He opened up the thin folder and reviewed the information there. What was known of the Elite Balask 'Zakamee was that he has been a warrior of the Covenant for three years. He had been promoted to the ranks of the, in 'Zakamee's words, 'overly paranoid' Stealth Corps one year ago but his only significant engagements were on the Halo that was destroyed by the Master Chief, Spartan 117.

According to 'Zakamee's report, he had escaped the destruction of the Halo inside of a compromised Wraith tank and was recovered by the Covenant flagship _Ascendant Justice_ moments before the Master Chief and the remaining Human survivors seized control of it. Also, several of the other Covenant defectors said they were survivors of Halo, two Elites called Orine 'Fulsamee and Yarna 'Orgalmee, and the Grunt Rurut. Their story had them escaping in a damaged Phantom dropship. Personally, Iverson doubted their stories were that fantastic, but then again the Master Chief had escaped on a Longsword taken from the Flood infested _Pillar of Autumn_ and the other survivors, all dead now, escaped in a Pelican.

In 'Zakamee's file, it was also mentioned that his new black Spec Ops armor was his, only due to the fact that his Stealth Corps armor was irretrievably damaged in an encounter with the Master Chief and the other Spartans. Another note of interest was the knife that 'Zakamee kept on him. While the Elite was unconscious in the infirmary UNSC scientists had studied the blade and attempted to determine what made the blade so damned sharp. Sure it couldn't hold a candle up to the power of those devastating plasma swords the Elites loved so much but plasma in and of itself was a very dangerous substance. The combat knife that was currently back in 'Zakamee's possession had the cutting power of a plasma sword without any detectable technological advances. It was the opinion of the science team that the blade was a relic of the Forerunners and an example of their technological superiority.

Iverson closed 'Zakamee's file with a snap. He would continue to subvert the Elite until Iverson deemed him ready to participate in the mission that ONI was considering. If the Elite proved willing enough…Iverson smiled. The Covenant leaders wouldn't know what hit them.

(Scene change)

'Zakamee stalked though the _Cairo_'s hallways, Human personel took one look at his face and determined stride and couldn't get out of his way fast enough. 'Zakamee was looking forward to getting back to what was referred to as the "Alien Barracks" and back to where things made sense again. His guards, Private First Class Mendez and Baker, were chatting with each other as they walked along behind him. 'Zakamee had caused no more trouble after the brief debacle in which he had walked down the halls in search of his armor. At that time the presence of the Covenant on the station had been a closely guarded secret and 'Zakamee blew it all the moment he woke up.

The memory lightened his mode somewhat; all of the important Human officials, all dressed up like so many plumed _Dubna_ birds, trailing in his wake like disoriented fighters in the wake of a capital ship. The thought drew his attention to his guards. The two, PFC Paul Mendez and PFC Clarrisa Baker, had been assigned to him the whole week he had been awake and had grown uncommonly close to one another over the past few days. The were always prim and proper when an officer walked by but the minute he or she was gone - 'Zakamee suppressed a shudder at female soldiers, he just couldn't comprehend some aspects of Human culture - the two would start talking and joking with one another. Occasionally they included 'Zakamee in their conversations and he was glad for the differing opinions they gave.

Such an occurrence was not for today, though as they were engrossed in each other as never before. 'Zakamee reached the entrance to his barracks and they walked off to sit with several other guards near the door. Slightly miffed, 'Zakamee opened the door and stepped inside. The first thing that hit him was the faint smell of methane; one of the Grunts tanks must have been leaking again. The next thing he noticed was the babble of voices coming from the central table. A number of Humans were sitting around the table and teaching the Covenant gathered around them the intricacies of the game called 'poker'. They were playing with colorful chips the marines had brought with them and by the looks of things, Cacar was cleaning house.

"God damn it, man!" exclaimed one Sergeant, "How the hell did you get so good at this game?"

Cacar raked in the bet he had just won and shrugged. "I guess I just have Fate on my side is all." Fate being a minor religion among Grunts that the Prophets discouraged, but tolerated.

As the Grunts chattered about Cacar's latest win and the Sergeant sighed and dealt out another hand, 'Zakamee walked around the table to where a lone Elite stood staring out of the view port at the Human's home world, Earth. Drak 'Jasakee turned his head slightly as 'Zakamee's approach but returned to his gazing just as quickly. As 'Zakamee walked up to the Elite, 'Jasakee spoke.

"It is frustrating, is it not?" asked 'Jasakee. 'Zakamee had a good idea about what 'Jasakee was talking about but decided to humor the easily irritable Elite.

"What is so frustrating, 'Jasakee?"

'Jasakee gestured angrily at the blue globe hanging outside the window. "That. We are so close to the home world of our most hated enemy and we cannot do a single thing to it. We do not have an army to invade it nor a fleet to conquer it. _That_ is what is frustrating."

"I understand your pain, 'Jasakee," agreed 'Zakamee, "But the Humans are our allies now. If we had an army of our brethren they would be as likely to attack us as they would the Humans."

"You are not telling me all of it."

"True. Our Human hosts have told me many things. The most important of which is the fact that the sacred rings are only weapons of mass destruction. That the Prophets have been lying to us from the beginning."

"Ha!" laughed 'Jasakee, "The Human officer told me the same lies. I did not believe it for a second. The Prophets would not lie to us. Us, their eternal protectors; sooner would a Hunter learn to speak then such a thing to happen."

'Zakamee than told 'Jasakee about what the Human had said about the Grunts and what he had remembered from his last day of training.

"Bah!" exclaimed 'Jasakee when 'Zakamee had finished, "Those Grunts were heretics and no doubt about it. Shows they were even more cowardly than the normal breed when that heretic attempted to feed you such a ridiculous lie."

'Zakamee heard what was said but he could see in 'Jasakee's eyes that he was deeply troubled by this information, but the other Elite's pride refused to let him show it. 'Zakamee nodded to 'Jasakee and walked back to the main table. The poker game had ended and the Humans were cleaning up. When they left, the five marines promised to come back next week. The Sergeant also promised bloody revenge on Cacar if the Grunt didn't lose a bit when he got back. Cacar merely grinned and waved, as did a few other Grunts.

With the Humans, and thus their source of entertainment, removed, the Grunts separated into little groups and talked amongst themselves. The other Elites were off somewhere else in the station and 'Jasakee was still sulking, so 'Zakamee lay down on his uncomfortable Human bed - it was way too soft - and reached for the book he had been reading. For the next hour or so 'Zakamee was immersed in the world of Beowulf and the fascinating archaic language that it was written in. It was completely unlike the Human language that existed today.

Shuffling footsteps approached 'Zakamee and the Elite reluctantly put down his book. He was at the part where Grendal dies, but duty called. Grgra was stumping over to him so 'Zakamee rolled to his feet and accepted the white armored Grunt's salute.

"Hello, excellency." Grgra began, knowing how 'Zakamee hated being called that, "I have something important to report."

'Zakamee perked up. Nothing really interesting had happened during his whole stay on _Cairo_ station and so this was a welcome surprise. He motioned for Grgra to continue.

"The other Grunts and I, with some collaboration with your Elite's, have come up with a name for our unit. I believe it aptly sums up our situation."

"What is it then?" asked 'Zakamee.

"We have decided to call ourselves the Oathbreakers. Also, to make sure our Human allies don't shoot us accidentally I proposed some liberal application of different paint schemes."

'Zakamee had tuned out Grgra after he gave 'Zakamee their new name. As the Grunt kept talking away, 'Zakamee rolled the name around in his mouth, testing the feel of it.

Oathbreakers.

He liked it.


	2. The Least Appreciated

The Least Appreciated

Disclaimer: I own nothing Halo related except for my own characters.

(chapter start)

'Zakamee stood in front of his men arranged in their ranks. A rank happened to be the Covenant term for squad and each rank, in this case, consisted of six Grunts, one of them the Sub-Rank Commander, and an Elite, the Rank Commander. Yarna, Orine, and 'Jasakee stood in front of their ranks with their newly painted armor gleaming. If they had been doing this on a parade ground or during an official ceremony they would have fitted right in. Of course, 'Zakamee frowned, they weren't fitting in because they were in parade formation inside of a human space station with its eye sore gray color and sharp angles. Completely different from the soft purple coloring and curved lines of a Covenant vessel. Grgra made a small coughing noise and 'Zakamee glared at him. 'Zakamee wasn't really mad at the diminutive Grunt he just glared out of tradition at the fact that he was interrupted.

The idea of repainting the Oathbreakers armor had worked out reasonably well. A few Grunts had gotten a little carried away, one of them painted his skin instead of his armor for the Forerunner's sake! But the majority of the troops colored 'within the lines' as a Marine said in relation to this. 'Zakamee had painted his thicker armor plates the gold colors that normally only Zealots wear. 'Zakamee offset this brash heresy a little by painting the more flexible under armor a black color. 'Jasakee had painted his armor a deep purple, the color of an Elite's blood, and so 'Zakamee worried a little bit about the hotheaded Elite. But if that was all he would do, then the rest of the group could live with it.

Yarna, Orine, and Rurut had painted their armor a uniform dark green color, much like what the human Marines wore. Grgra kept his armor white while Cacar gave himself the black coloring of a Spec Ops Grunt. The other Grunts looked like a rainbow that had landed in the room and it made an ache start just behind 'Zakamee's eyes. He rubbed in between his eyes and straightened up.

"Alright everyone. You've all done a good job at distinguishing ourselves from the regular Covenant ranks. I have a reward for you all in commemoration of this event." Said 'Zakamee at length.

The Oathbreakers looked at each other and then back at 'Zakamee, who had a huge grin on his face.

"Today, Lord Admiral Hood approved our trip to the firing range. We will also be provided with live ammunition. Now this represents a huge trust put in us because I'm sure that all of us with guns, even human weaponry, could cut a bloody swath into this station's security force. I would prefer to let this burst of faith to not go unfounded so let us try to limit any enthusiasm we might have. Our normal escorts will bring us down to the firing range and then we'll be left more or less to our own devices."

The Grunts looked overjoyed, they'd get to do something interesting for once! The other three Elites, however, looked less than pleased. 'Zakamee understood his brothers' concern. Human weapons were considered to be below them in any shape and form. Even if using a human weapon would save their life they would instead throw themselves at the enemy with their bare hands. 'Zakamee gave them a stern glare.

"We are no longer with the Covenant. And no matter how we feel about human technology we must learn how to use it. At the very least it will surprise our former brethren."

'Jasakee stiffened and nodded slowly, Yarna and Orine looked at each other and nodded as well. Just then a knock sounded from the door and a voice came through from the small speaker installed next to the door.

"Hey guys. Heard all your talking. Your time at the range begins in about five minutes and it'll take about that long to get down there. Come on out and I'll lead you down."

'Zakamee motioned for his men to fall in and then hit the door release. A Marine Sergeant and six other Marines were waiting outside. 'Zakamee nodded to the Sergeant and stepped out into the hallway. A quick glance showed that the marines assigned to guard the Oathbreakers were about equally split between humans friendly to the defectors and those you hated them for any number of reasons. 'Zakamee understood their reasoning. The Covenant had destroyed dozens of human colonies and killed millions, billions, of humans. In their eyes the only good Covie was a dead Covie.

As the group of former Covenant and their guards journeyed down the passageways of the _Cairo_ Orbital MAC station the alien soldiers were met with the typical reactions. There were those that merely stepped aside and continued on their own tasks, those who looked ready to pound in the skull of any Oathbreaker that blinked wrong, those that glared daggers at them, and those that stopped and watched the Covenant troop past with no expression at all. 'Zakamee had learned to watch the quiet ones, for one such human had managed to kill the Emissary of the Prophets, the honored Jask 'Somamakee. The human had stepped up to the Elite and calmly put a bullet into his unshielded head. Needless to say, that particular human did not live long to ponder his success as 'Zakamee and the other three Elites had broken his body like so much try kindling. Some of the humans protested after that display, citing it as proof that the defectors would only turn upon humanity given the chance. Thankfully, the human generals had accepted, albeit reluctantly, 'Zakamee's explanation that the Emissary was a revered personage and that their actions were undertaken due to the many cultural taboos that had been broken in that instant of death.

'Zakamee cut off that line of thought with a huff of irritation. The human's paranoia remained a mystery to the Covenant, even though 'Zakamee believed he understood where they were coming from. Still, a race this paranoid might have even have started the war against the Covenant like the Prophet's had said at first. Perhaps the Prophets were as guilty of paranoia as the humans. 'Zakamee stopped thinking again. All of this internal arguing was making his head hurt. No wonder his father had made sure that 'Zakamee was enrolled in a military academy as soon as possible. Everything was much more black and white in the military. Although it was hard to re-label the humans as allies and his entire race as the enemy.

"Alright boys." Said the Sergeant, 'Zakamee noticed that he knew this human, it was the same one that had promised revenge on Cacar the night before. "Through this door is the firing range. All of us will stay outside the door here, if you need anything just hit the buzzer on your side and we'll answer whatever question it may be. Also, ignore the camera's that are lying around. The folks at Xeno-biology want to study your reflexes, our some bull like that." The Sergeant laughed. "They just want to make sure you guys aren't as good with our toys as you are with yours." The Sergeant waved them through and as soon as the last Oathbreakers were on the other side, he shut and locked the door.

The firing range was something like a miniature armory. There were racks of human weapons on the wall to the left of the door 'Zakamee had just entered and to his right were fourteen small cubicles for a shooter to stand in. The targets at the far end of the right wall looked as though they were Elite shaped and 'Zakamee heard Orine smother a chuckle. There were also directions on how to load, reload, and fire the various different weapons placed next to that individual weapon's rack. The several buttons in the cubicles were also clearly labeled and there were human shaped earmuffs for protection from the sound. 'Zakamee looked at his troops and stepped in front of them.

"Alright men. We can fit one semi-file at the range at a single time. Orine's and 'Jasakee's ranks up first and mine and Yarna's will follow after a suitable amount of time. Maybe, a sixth turn of the clock per round. Pick and choose what weapons you want to try but remember, Grunts only take what they can hold in one hand and Elites focus on two handed weapons first. After we've all gotten a handle on the human weapons we'll try different combinations. Get to it." Said 'Zakamee.

'Jasakee's and Orine's ranks swooped in on the weapons racks and snagged their choice of human weapons. The Grunts decided to try out the human pistols first as they were closest to their frequently used plasma pistols. A few of the more daring Grunts, including Cacar from Orine's rank, took an SMG and moved to the range. 'Jasakee grabbed one of the shotguns, which 'Zakamee approved of, and Orine took a battle rifle. As the first semi-file opened fire on the targets, after puzzling out how to load (What a novel concept!) and fire the new weapons.

'Zakamee watched how things went while his semi-file choose their own weapons. The thing that the former Covenant had to get used to was recoil. Since Covenant weapons were energy based they had no recoil but their own disadvantage, overheating. Only the massive fuel rod gun had recoil but that was an anti-vehicle weapon and so recoil was to be expected. But the recoil from the human weapons put pressure on different muscles, and Grunts who had braced themselves as though they were firing fuel rod guns quickly weaved off target and, in one instance, fell over backwards. The unfortunate Grunt at least managed to take his finger off the trigger of his SMG as he toppled over and hit the deck. The Grunts nearest to him helped him back up while several others laughed at his misfortune.

Soon enough it was 'Zakamee's turn to test his new weapon and 'Zakamee hefted the battle rifle with a slight bit of uncertainty. Orine saluted 'Zakamee as he turned over his own cubicle to the Oathbreakers commander. 'Zakamee saluted back and stepped inside. There was a slot to hold ammo and another, deeper slot for used cartridges. There was also a button that 'Zakamee could press to bring the Elite cutout closer to him for inspection of his shot placement. 'Zakamee hefted the battle rifle and shifted it around a little until he got a proper feel for its weight distribution. The human rifle reminded the Elite of the carbine he practiced with back in his academy days. 'Zakamee grinned, his upper two mandibles moving apart, as he recalled his high marks in marksmanship class with the semi-automatic weapon.

'Zakamee brought the sight up to his eye and sighted at the target. He pulled the trigger and a trio of bullets shot from the rifle and tore through the target's head. A few more bursts and the head had been shot off at the neck. He emptied the rest of the cartridge into the chest and then swapped the empty cartridge for a new one. A press of a button exchanged the beaten up target for a new one. As 'Zakamee continued firing and getting the feel for this new weapon he heard the rest of the fire drop off and replaced by the steady _pam pam pam pam_ of rapid pistol fire. 'Zakamee put down his weapon and stepped back from his cubicle. A crowd had gathered around Grgra as the little Grunt used two pistols to reduce the target to systematic shreds. Another Grunt hit the button while a second gave Grgra new, fully loaded pistols to replace the empty ones and soon the steady fire was resumed once again. Despite the fact that Grgra had disobeyed an order, even if it was a mild one, 'Zakamee was impressed at how far the white armored Grunt had come from the cowering, quick witted medical lab assistant that he had been on the _Ascendant Justice_.

'Zakamee looked around him and realized just how few Elites were here with him now. Just four representatives of the strongest race in the Covenant and twenty-four of the weakest, or maybe just the least appreciated.

Review Responses:

Red Ninja – It's the new chapter! Hope you like it as much as the first one.

Warrior – Funny thing that. I actually switched my PS 2 and games for a friend's X-Box and games, including Halo 2. Unfortunately I had to trade back so expect chapters to be a bit slower, although it may be hard to believe that I could be slower. (

Contention – Ooooo, flattery. Me likes.

Jimmy-San – I think we already worked out the my character/your story thing so that's good. You should update too!

Crow T Robot – I like compliments. See above comment about the X-Box and Orine's name really is Orine. Although I don't do the fancy thing with the 'e'.

Aznricechink54 – Awww, you don't like the inner machinations of the Grunts? I like writing bits about Grunts and making them look special. Glad you like me though.

BtBMM – Hey, it's my old constituent the mob guy! Glad you like.

Nightdragon0 – Oh it will, my young friend (you are young?) it will. The Arbiter shall change a great many things although, sadly, 'Zakamee won't be there to see many of them.


	3. Point of No Return

Disclaimer: I do not own Halo, much to my annoyance.

'Zakamee watched Grgra shoot the hell out of the targets for another minute before he reestablished order. 'Zakamee waded through the Oathbreaker troops and laid a hand on Grgra's shoulder. The Grunt stopped firing and looked up at 'Zakamee.

"All right, everyone," Ordered 'Zakamee, "That's enough gawking. Get back to your assigned stations and continue with your drills. I want at least eighty five percent accuracy from everyone before we leave. Got that?"

"Yes, sir, File Commander 'Zakamee!" Responded the Grunts and Elites. They returned to the firing cubbies or to the front area to mill around depending on whether it was their turn up or not. 'Zakamee looked down at Grgra as the sound of weapon's fire picked up again.

"How did a Grunt of your caliber get tapped for the medical caste?" Asked 'Zakamee of the white armored Grunt.

Grgra shrugged nervously, "I guess I'm just naturally good at it, sir."

'Zakamee snorted, "Yeah right. And I'm the Prophet of Justice. You can tell me, Grgra. It is not like you could be killed for heresy."

Grgra scratched his leg with his thumb, a sign of nervousness in Grunts, and shook his head. 'Zakamee narrowed his eyes but didn't press the question. He then turned away from Grgra and was about to head over to speak with Orine when an alarm went off and red lights started flashing. A human female repeated a message over the intercom.

"Attention all personnel, report to battle stations. This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill. Attention all personnel…" And the message repeated.

'Zakamee turned to his men and shouted to be heard over the blaring alarm and repeating message.

"Drop your weapons! Drop your weapons! The humans are just going to think this is our doing and we don't need to give them any more excuses to think so!" He ordered. Most of the Oathbreakers tossed their human weapons on the floor but a few held on to them, heedless of the possible consequences. Just then, the door leading into the firing range burst open and a dozen fully armed Marines came rushing in. At their head was a large, blond haired male who 'Zakamee recognized as one of those humans that carried an insurmountable grudge against the species of the Covenant.

"Get your ugly alien asses on the floor!" Shouted the captain, his face bright red, "Any of you so much as twitch and I'll get a nice new Covie head to hang over my mantel!"

'Zakamee grimaced and lay belly down on the floor with his hands stretched out in front of him. He saw the soldiers in his immediate field of vision do the same and breathed a sigh of relief. The hateful captain would have no excuse to kill any of his people this time at least.

"That's good! Now get up one at a time and walk out of the door! I hope your puny alien minds can handle that much!" Raged the captain.

'Zakamee was the first to get to his feet and he walked right up to the captain. This close, with his face inches away from the human's, 'Zakamee could look directly into the other's eyes and saw fear. Fear of 'Zakamee, both of his alienness and of what he represented. Despite the fact that 'Zakamee and this human were technically allies the Elite couldn't help but crack a quick grin at the captain's true emotions. His lower mandibles twitched and the captain's face went purple. Unexpectedly, the butt of the shotgun the captain held slammed into the underside of 'Zakamee's head.

"Get moving you Covie scum!" Shouted the Marine as he menaced 'Zakamee with his shotgun. 'Zakamee raised his hand to his face and it came back smeared with purple blood. 'Zakamee slowly turned from the epileptic human and stalked out the door. As he was about to exit, one of the Marines put his hand on 'Zakamee's arm. 'Zakamee paused and glanced at the Marine. He was one of the guards from the Alien Barracks.

"Sorry, man. The captain just has some issues." He said.

"So I have noticed." Responded the Elite and let out a small chuckle. The Marine patted him on the arm and waved him through the door. He was held in the area just outside the door while a few other Grunts were led out and then the lot of them was escorted to their barracks.

A few minutes later the entire group of Oathbreakers was locked inside their barracks and no one had told them why.

"It's the Covenant." Stated 'Jasakee. "Why else would they lock us up like a bunch of rabid _narks_?"

Most of the Grunts agreed with this and murmured unhappily. 'Zakamee looked over at Yarna and Orine and gestured out of the window that he was looking through. The other two dark green Elites moved to him and looked out the small port. The massive magnetically accelerated cannon built into the center of the ring shaped space station dominated the view. The _Cairo_ was obviously preparing for battle as lights steadily flickered on around the massive cannon, lending it a menacing air.

"Looks like 'Jasakee is right." Said Yarna distastefully; the two Elites had disliked each other the instant they met.

"That I am." Stated 'Jasakee haughtily as he came to stand with the others. "In fact, if we're lucky, the Covenant will release boarding parties and we'll get to fight!"

'Zakamee and Orine exchanged looks, 'Jasakee was worrisomely bloodthirsty.

"Excellencies!" Shouted a Grunt from the other side of the cabin, "You've gotta see this!"

The black and blue armored Grunt was literally hopping up and down near a window and wouldn't quiet down until the Elites looked out. Many thousands of kilometers away lay a number of bulbous purple ships and around them was a glittering galaxy of smaller ships. The relatively small swarm of ships seemed to be heading directly for the _Cairo_ and its attendant MAC stations. 'Jasakee appeared to glow as he saw the approaching ships.

"Sometimes I hate it when you're right, 'Jasakee." Muttered 'Zakamee.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX(scene shift)

Private First Class Shane Bawek slid out of bed as the battle alarms went off. The sharp bang when his head hit the floor cleared the last bit of sleep from his head and replaced it with pain. Shane winced and rubbed his forehead, which would really hurt next morning. _Assuming there was a next morning_, he thought as he struggled to pull on his pants. His chip player continued to blare out old fashion rock music into his ear thanks to the headphones he was wearing. The music was by an ancient band called Blind Guardian and was Shane's favorite despite what the rest of his squad said about his choice of music.

Shane was the only person in his four-man cabin at the moment and he was grateful for it. He really didn't need someone around to laugh at the picture he made stumbling around with one boot on while trying to put on his armor. Eventually he got everything in its right place and rushed out into the hall. Fully armed combat teams were running to their assigned stations and reinforced plates were levered up from the floor as shields. Shane scrambled to the armory and was able to get his weapons before Gunny closed up shop.

"Almost out of time, kid." Said the grizzled Gunnery Sergeant as he handed Shane a battle rifle and SMG.

"Thanks Gunny." Gasped Shane as he loaded the weapons and prepared to catch up with his squad.

"Thank me by killing some Covies." Grunted Gunny as he hoisted a shotgun and checked the barrels.

Shane snapped a hasty salute and dashed out of the armory. It was then that he felt the tremble in the floor and he almost pitched over from the shock. Shane steadied himself against the bulkhead and then stiffened as he heard gunfire coming from the docking bay to his right. The bark of automatic weapons competed against the whine of plasma-based weaponry punctuated by the occasional scream or explosion. Shane rushed down the corridor toward the docking bay in hope of lending a hand to the defenders.

Shane never noticed the sudden cessation of noise from the bay, nor did he see mangled body that had dragged itself around a corner and out of Shane's sight just as he got to the door. All he did see was the toothy maw of a red armored Elite and all he heard was the hum of the plasma sword that cut into his chest.

Major Sula 'Krishnee deactivated his plasma sword and attached the device to his belt as he looked down at the human he had killed. His fellow Covenant ran past him in search of more infidels to slaughter but 'Krishnee simply stared at the frozen expression on the dead human's face. Was it shock? Fear? Or maybe anger at being killed without firing a shot.

'Krishnee knelt down and closed the alien's eyes. It was the least he could do and the most he had ever done to one of the human heretics. 'Krishnee stood up to leave but stopped when he noticed noise coming from a small device in the human's ears. He had ignored it before as being part of the station's normal sounds but he now knew it came from the odd device. 'Krishnee plucked the earphones from the human's ears and the rectangular thing that they were connected too. 'Krishnee held the earphones up to his own ears and listened to the music with interest. He reached down to the box and tapped a button. The music stopped. 'Krishnee tapped the button again and when the music started up he grinned. A last tap turned off the music and 'Krishnee slid the musical device into a compartment in his armor. He then lifted up his plasma rifle and went to kill some more humans.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX(scene shift)

'Zakamee and the other Elites had just finished preparing a plan of action when plasma fire was heard from the corridor outside. The harsher sound of gunfire responded to it and the noises continued for a few minutes before the gunfire cut off. 'Zakamee looked from one rank commander to another and they nodded as he gazed at them.

"Remember how this should go." 'Zakamee muttered to himself as the bright plume of a plasma sword began sawing through the slight gap between the door and the wall. When the sword had cut about half of the door free it withdrew and the door was kicked away from the doorway by a red clad hoof. The rest of the Major Elite followed his foot through and only the fact that his comrades could see him did the Elite not gape at the sight before him.

"What is going on in there, 'Valucee?" bellowed a voice from outside.

"I think I have found prisoners, sir." Responded the Elite a bit hesitantly, "As in _Elite_ prisoners, sir."

'Zakamee suppressed a grin as he heard the Elite commander's thunderous "WHAT!" and dampened the emotion even more when he reminded himself what he was about to do. A gray armored Covert Ops Elite strode through the shattered doorway like a Prophet walking into his private residence, lord of all he surveyed. His confidence took a sharp blow when he saw 'Zakamee and his file but the commander recovered quickly.

"I had not been informed that the vile Humans had captured any of our brethren." Said the commander to 'Zakamee. "I would have thought that an honorable Elite would fight to the death rather than be captured."

'Zakamee bristled, "The circumstances were less than fortunate. The Demon himself had a hand in capturing my men and I. One cannot die honorably when a precise blow to the head knocks one out."

The commnder grimaced and made a gesture to ward off evil. "I apoligize. If I had realized you had fought the Demon and lived, despite the consequences of living, I would have spoken with more respect. As it is at this time I would suggest we relocate to one of the boarding craft and escape. 'Valucee and I are the only survivors from our boat and I'm sure that you have information about the Humans that the Prophets' could make use of."

'Zakamee nodded and waved his hand toward his Oathbreakers, "Agreed. Lead us and we shall gladly escape with you."

The commander broke into a grin, "Good, good! I half suspected you would want to exact revenge on the humans right now and I would not like to argue with you. Come quickly then."

The commander and 'Valucee moved back toward the doorway and 'Valucee stuck his head out to make sure that the coast was clear. At that moment 'Jasakee and Yarna had lunged at the hapless pair of Elites and gotten them in a stranglehold. The two Covenant screamed and struggled and Yarna was forced to pacify the commander. The broken necked Elite slumped to the ground and seemed to shut down 'Valucee's brain. The other Elite stared up at 'Jasakee with confusion and hatred in his eyes.

"You shall burn, heretic." Croaked the Major, "You and the humans that can corrupt even our mighty race."

'Jasakee breathed heavily onto 'Valucee's face, causing the other Elite to flinch back.

"You're wrong, Covenant. The Prophet's corrupted _us_ and we are merely taking back what is ours." Growled 'Jasakee as he punctuated the end of his sentence with the snap of 'Valucee's neck. 'Jasakee shoved the corpse away from him and picked up 'Valucee's plasma rifle.

"Glad to see you feel better." Remarked Grgra as he snatched the plasma pistol from the commander's belt. 'Jasakee laughed in response to Grgra and when he had turned away Grgra made a little crazy motion that the Grunts had borrowed from the humans. 'Zakamee stepped over to the Covert Ops commander's body and closed its staring eyes before he retrieved the unclaimed plasma sword. Yarna hefted the plasma rifle that the commander carried and Cacar had taken 'Valucee's spare plasma pistol.

"Come. We have a station to save for our new allies, whether they want our help or not." Announced 'Zakamee to his troops and then he turned and ran out of the door with the other Oathbreakers streaming behind.


	4. Ungrateful, the Lot of Them

The powerful backhand smashed the orange armored Grunt across the hallway where its flight was halted by the durasteel bulkhead. The impact flattened the alien's methane tank and the super-cooled gas sprayed out of the ruptured container. The Grunt, its back broken, gurgled quietly for a few seconds until shock and lack of air stilled its breathing. Meanwhile, the Oathbreakers continued to fight on behalf of their human allies. 'Zakamee waved his hand around to relieve the sting from hitting the Grunt with such strength. The reason for 'Zakamee's fierce attack huddled in a crook in the wall where one bulkhead met another. The human female was staring at 'Zakamee with a mixture of confusion and terror on her face.

"You all right?" queried a small voice from behind 'Zakamee.

"I am fine, Grgra." he said to the Grunt behind him, "It just never gets any easier."

The two were speaking in the Covenant common tongue and so the human was tracking the conversation by watching their mouths move. 'Zakamee motioned for Grgra and the other four Grunts of his half-rank to continue on; 'Zakamee then turned slowly walked toward the human. He kept his hands away from the plasma rifle and shotgun he had acquired during the fight. As he knelt down in front of the human, she flinched, anticipating a deathblow.

"Calm yourself, human." spoke 'Zakamee in English, "I am not here to hurt you."

The woman just gaped at 'Zakamee, clearly unable to comprehend why an Elite was speaking to her in her own language.

"If you proceed down that corridor-" 'Zakamee pointed down the passage his half-rank had just emerged from, "-then you will find a detachment of Marines waiting to escort you and any other survivors to a safe place near the interior of the ship. Go quickly, I cannot predict when another Covenant patrol could venture into that area again."

His duty done, 'Zakamee straightened up and turned to follow Grgra and the others. He drew his plasma rifle and checked down both turns before moving forward. Behind him, he heard a whispered "Thank you" and then a scrambling noise as the human ran off. 'Zakamee nodded to himself and activated the Covenant BattleNet. Instantly, reports and cries for help in a variety of Covenant dialects poured into his helmet's receivers. 'Zakamee grimaced as he lowered the volume of the radio. His team had found out that they could still access the BattleNet and therefore learn about Covenant plans easily. The only problem was that the sophisticated network forgot all of 'Zakamee's set preferences when he turned it off. Narrowing his search, 'Zakamee isolated the high-priority transmissions coming to and from the _Cairo_.

"Curse these humans to the blackest depths of the abyss! We walked right into-"

"Requesting reinforcements in section 3D of the human platform, we were attacked by the Demon and-"

"The bomb is almost in place, soon these unholy scum will be wiped from the face of the universe."

'Zakamee froze when he heard that last transmission. There was a bomb on the station, which certainly changed things. A few more seconds spent listening to that band resulted in 'Zakamee learning that the bomb and its guardians were heading to a small docking bay near the center of the _Cairo_. The Elite flipped off the BattleNet and ran toward Grgra and the other Grunts. They saw him coming and automatically scattered and took up defensive positions, obviously expecting to see a horde of enemies pursuing their commander.

"What's wrong, Excellency?" cried one of the Grunts as 'Zakamee skidded to a halt.

"We need to find one of the Marines," gasped 'Zakamee as he kept running, "They have a bomb!"

The Grunts looked at one another for a moment and then Grgra bashed one of them on the head.

"You heard the boss! Let's go!" ordered Grgra. Running as fast as they could, the Grunts hurried to catch up with their commander.

Hearing the sounds of gunfire ahead, 'Zakamee swerved down a side corridor and came up to a partially blocked doorway. Through the unobscured portion, 'Zakamee saw a line of Marines firing down the corridor. As Grgra and his Grunts came up from behind, one of the Marines tossed a frag grenade toward whatever Covenant they were shooting at. In the midst of the throwing motion, the Marine private had turned his head just enough to see 'Zakamee framed in between the barrier and the top of the door. As the grenade exploded, the private raised his rifle and fired at 'Zakamee while shouting for his comrades to help.

The bullets pinging off his shields, 'Zakamee ducked and deactivated his plasma rifle. Waving the shut off weapon above his head, 'Zakamee announced that he was on the Marine's side and wouldn't open fire.

"The only good Covie is a dead Covie!" screamed one corporal as he fired a burst that snatched 'Zakamee's rifle from his hand.

Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, 'Zakamee shouted back that the Covenant were placing a bomb on the station and then he and the Grunts high-tailed it out of there before the Marine's started tossing grenades. Exiting the corridor, 'Zakamee checked the BattleNet and tried to find the locations of the rest of the Oathbreakers. Just now, splitting into individual ranks didn't seem like such a good idea. Tapping Grgra on the shoulder, 'Zakamee gestured down a passage.

"In that direction is some heavy fighting. I believe Yarna's rank is involved and there has also been intermittent contact with the Demon." said the Elite.

"Then we should lend our assistance," replied Grgra.

"Agreed."

(break)

Up in the bustle of the _Cairo_'s command bridge, Admiral Hood was receiving a report from a Marine squad with a disturbing story. The Admiral turned to one of the ensigns manning a sensor station and issued an order.

"Ensign! Scan the entire station for a large explosive. If you find anything, tell the Master Chief immediately."

"Yes, sir!" snapped back the ensign as he furiously began typing commands into the computer.

However, just after the ensign had begun his search, another disturbing report came in from another ensign.

"Admiral Hood! It looks like the _Malta_ has fought off their boarders!"

A few other officers started a cheer but Hood just got a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach. Seconds later, the _Malta _exploded. The _Athens_ followed soon afterward.

"Come on, people. Find that bomb! Let's prove that bad luck does _not_ come in threes!" ordered the Admiral and then he mused to himself, "Those Covenant traitors might turn out to be useful after all."


End file.
